Valve disposing orifice cleaner in orifice as stem tip is compressed-seated



May 27, 1969 w. HUNGATE 3,446,234

VALVE DISPOSING ORIFICE CLEANER IN ORIFICE I AS STEM TIP IS C0 ESSED-SEATED Filed Apr 35c 35 am!!! ,ZIIH

INVENT BY 74/5 (QM ATTORNE Y VV/LL/AM Hwv TE United States Patent 3,446,234 VALVE DISPOSING ORIFICE CLEANER IN ORIFICE AS STEM TIP IS COMPRESSED- SEATED William Hungate, 1315 Waugh Drive, Houston, Tex. 77019 Filed Apr. 14, 1966, Ser. No. 542,558 Int. Cl. F16k 1/36, 1/44, 29/00 US. Cl. 137-244 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a valve which is adapted to maintain its discharge end unclogged when the valve stem element is seated.

As a primary object the invention sets out to provide a valve having a stem with a compressible or deformable tip which houses a clean-out rod or wire in manner that when the tip is compressed-seated, the clean-out wire or rod substantially fills the orifice, thereby insuring that the orifice is unclogged and open when the valve unseats to let fluid flow through the orifice.

It is another object of this invention to provide a valve of this class in which the valve stem above the compressible tip comprises a spool valve with fluid entering the annular space between the spool flanges to pass through groove means provided in the lower spool and thence through the orifice.

It is also another and important object of this invention to provide a valve of this class which provides a seal means in the upper flange of the spool flange and a spring around the valve stem between upper spool flange and a guide closure.

It is yet a further object of the invention to provide a valve of this class in which the valve tip may be unseated either by increase of pressure of the fluid being handled or by manual or automatic lifting of the valve stem; or by both of these factors in combination.

Other and further objects will be apparent when the specification herein is considered in connection with the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a sectional elevation through a valve comprising an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional elevation of a portion of the valve including the stern tip and discharge orifice with the valve tip in seated position; and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional elevation of the valve parts shown in FIG. 1 just as the valve tip may be beginning to seat or unseat, the clean-out rod thus being shown as fully surrounded "by the tip in its fully expanded position.

Referring now to the drawings in which like reference numerals are applied to like elements in the various views, the valve 10, as shown in FIG. 1, may be described as having been fabricated by the following steps: The body 11 may comprise a metallic rod or cylindrical part which is bored through from one end almost to the other, thus leaving only a thin closure plate '13 at the end of the valve body 11. A small orifice .14, such as one measurable in thousandths of an inch dimensions, is then drilled centrally through the closure plate 13. Then the plate 13 around the small orifice 14 is countersunk to provide a tapered valve seat 27. Then the opposite end of the cylindrical rod stock or body 11 is tapped to provide an internally threaded upper part 15. Thereafter, a transverse opening 16 is drilled and tapped through the wall of the body 11 with the axis at a predetermined distance above the closure plate 13.

The valve stem 17 may now be fabricated from round stock of outer diameter fractionally less than the diameter of the bore 12. First the stock is turned down for over two-thirds of the distance from one end to provide a stem shank 18. Then an annular groove is provided in the full diameter part remaining later to receive an O-ring 38 therein, and to segregate a spool flange part between the spool and the shank 18. 1

Then the spool part remaining may be further turned down, as indicated in FIG. 1, to provide an annular space 20 to serve in service as a fluid plenum chamber; also this step segregates a second full diameter, upper spool flange part 19b, between annulus and the O-ring groove. Finally, the remaining full diameter part of the stem stock may have the terminal part thereof tapered, thus to divide the lower stock into a lower spool flange 22 and a tapered end 21. Then the end face of the spool end of the stem may have an axial bore or recess 23 provided therein.

Piano wire or rod stock may now be used to provide a clean-out wire or rod 24 which may be affixed to extend axially, outwardly from the recess 23, the clean-out rod having a transverse inner arm 24a by which it may be aflixed to the bottom of the recess 23, as by brazing. Finally, a compressible or deformable stem or seating element tip 25, of slightly greater outer diameter than the diameter of the recess 23, may be press-fitted into the recess 23 to fit over the transverse arm 24a of the cleanout wire or rod 24, the tip having a small bore 26 therethrough or being otherwise penetratable to be pierced axially by the clean-out rod. The tip 25 may be of rubber or of a rubberoid material, plastic or other type of material which is deformable and/or compressible, and a tapered surface 28 is turned on the lower portion of the tips with the taper in degree to match with the taper of the countersunk seat 27.

It is a matter of particular notice that the end of the tip 25 should extend a predetermined distance from its seat in the recess 23 when the tip is normally at full ex pansion, thus to insure that the rod 24 is substantially retracted within the truncated end of the tip 25 before the tip is placed under the compression it is to undergo after its end 28 first contacts the seat 27.

As final steps, the spool flange 22 has a spiral groove 29, or two opposed spiral groves, provided therein. Also, a flat portion 30 is machined in the end of the shank 18, as will be hereinbelow described.

The parts of the valve 10 further include a spring 31 to seat on the upper surface of the spool flange 19a, and a retainer or closure plug or guide member 32 is provided which is externally threaded for threaded engagement with the internally threaded upper end '15 of the valve body; and which is bored centrally therethrough to slidably, and substantially sealably, receive the valve stem shank .18 therethrough.

Also, the valve may include a lift lever 33 having a flat part 33a which is bored centrally therethrough to fit over the outwardly extending part of the shank 18. Such lever 33 also includes an angularly outwardly extending central part 33b and a handle part 330 which extends upwardly from the part 33b but at a lesser angle to the horizontal.

A retainer nut 34 is then provided with flat undersurface to seat on the lever part 33a, a central bore through the nut receiving the upper end of the shank 18 therethrough. A setscrew 35' is provided to pass threadably transversely through the side of the nut 34, and thus with setscrew axis perpendicular to the stem axis so that the end of the setscrew, when threaded full in, may bear firmly and in frictional contact against the flat 30 of the stem shank 18, thus to confine the lever 33 in position between the nut 34 and the end of the housing 11.

Then when an inlet conduit, as the conduit 36, has its externally threaded end 37 threadably engaged in the threaded inlet 37 into the housing 11, the assembly of valve with flow conduit 36 is completed. Then the valve may be opened by the pressure of a pressurized fluid along, as such pressure may be increased to a point at which it can urge upwardly against the lower side of the O-ring 38 with such force as to overcome the downwardly urging of the spring 31.

At such point, the valve stem 17 can be lifted to raise the valve tip 25 successively from the compressed position it occupies when it is shown seated in FIG. 2, to fully expanded position, at which point it is in substantial adjacency with the valve seat 28, as shown in FIG. 3. Finally the valve stem can be urged upwardly to the point where it clear the valve seat 27 so that pressurized fluid may pass outwardly through the orifice 14.

Also, the pressure of the fluid may be manually assisted to open the valve by manipulation of the lever 33. Or the lifting of the valve stem may be accomplished almost exclusively by lifting upwardly on the lever 33- whereby the nut 34 lifts the stem 17 connected thereto. Also, under conditions, no reliance of any kind need be placed on the assistance of the fluid pressure to lift the valve stem 17, and it may be selectively lifted manually, as desired. Also, the lever 33 or an equivalent element, may be opened and closed in any timed sequence, as by a cam on a transmission shaft which contacts a lever means to lift the valve stem once every revolution.

It is pointed out that a valve may operate according to the principles of this invention without the necessity of providing the lower spool flange 22 with its groove 29. Especially can such operation be accomplished when low pressure fluid is being handled. However, under conditions when the fluid being handled is of the type to be directed, as by spraying, the spool valve construction with passageways through the lower spool fiange, is a combination preferable in a spray valve.

The invention may be practiced with a number of combinations or arrangements. For instance, a clean-out rod or wire in a recess in the end of the valve stem may be provided correspondingly as shown in the drawings with a small coil spring being installed around the wire or rod to base against the inner face of the recess. Then a rigid tip with a bore therethrough may be inserted over the clean-out wire or rod to bear on the outer end of the spring, the tip being of reduced diameter outwardly to form a shoulder and the end of the valve stem providing a stop means or lip structure to overextend the shoulder. Thus the spring could urge the tip outwardly so that the wire or rod would be enclosed when the tip was fully advanced by the spring and thereafter, after the tip came into contact with the valve seated, further the downward urging of the valve stem would result in the tip comprising the spring and thus the clean-out wire or rod would be advanced to fill the discharge orifice while the valve tip remained seated.

What is claimed is:

1. A valve comprising a hollow body and a fluid inlet thereinto, a relatively small diameter discharge orifice from said body downstream of said inlet, said body being countersunk co-axially with said orifice to provide a tapered valve seat, a valve stem in said body including an axially advanceable and retractable deformable tip as a seating element with a rigid clean-out rod extending axially to substantially the end of said tip when the stern tip is fully advanced and in close adjacency to said seat just prior to seating, a guide closure in said body opposite the valve orifice end through which said stem extends, resilient means urging said stem to seat and means for lifting said stem against the urging of said resilient means and fluid pressure, said rod extending through said orifice to keep it open when said stem is seated to fully retract said tip.

2. A valve as claimed in claim 1 in which said tip is of a compressible material advanced when permitted to expand to its normal length and retracted when compressed against said valve seat.

'3. A valve as claimed in claim 1 in which said valve stem above said tip comprises a spool valve with annulus to communicate with said inlet and with the lower spool flange having spiral groove means therethrough through which fluid may pass prior to discharge.

4. A valve as claimed in claim 1 in which said valve stem above said tip comprises a spool valve with annulus to communicate with said inlet and with the lower spool flange having a spiral groove means therethrough through which fluid may pass prior to discharge, the upper spool flange having an annular O-ring therein to bear sealably against said housing, said resilient means comprising a spring around said stem between said guide closure and said upper spool flange.

5. A valve as claimed in claim 1 in which said clean-out rod is comprised of piano wire and in which said tip is received in a recess extending co-axially into the lower end of said stem, said clean-out rod including a transverse arm in said recess by which it is affixed to said stem.

6. A valve as claimed in claim 1 in which said valve tip is of a rigid material, in which said stem has a recess therein to receive a spring to urge said stern outwardly, said tip being of reduced diameter outwardly to provide a shoulder, and said stem providing a stop at the lower end thereof against which said shoulder may abut when said tip is fully advanced, said tip being retracted as said stem is urged to seat said tip.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 921,867 5/1909 Moyer 137-245 X 1,507,139 9/1924 Pike 137-244 1,737,233 11/1929 Griflith 251-126 X 1,763,687 6/1930 Chadwick 251-126 X 2,154,811 4/1939 Goss 137-244 X CLARENCE R. GORDON, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

